Tirem is just one of the larger asteroids in the Incalescens Belt: there are another 247 "asteroids" with a size between 1 and 8, orbiting as a belt around the primary, Kinkos. According to the most common theory, the Belt is the result of the destruction of a small (size 22?) planet - perhaps during the Final War - with the resulting fragments forming a mass of small planets in orbit around Kinkos. Navigation within the boundaries of the Belt is satisfactory throughout the Belt: however, gas traces of nitrogen and methane is thinly spread throughout the Belt, and may cause limited communication problems.

Tirem is an elongated, misshapen brick of a world, with it's diameter varying from 3000 km to 22,000 km. Long riddled with tunnels, it remains one of the greatest sources of nickel in the Regency: a few other items are here also, largely copper and iron. The convoluted shape of the world - along with relentless "hollowing" by kilometer-wide mobile excavation complexes - contribute to the variable gravity on Tirem.

Tirem was still recovering from it's last nadir (at 1085) when the Rebellion swept over it in the late 1110's. After the fall of Glisten, the Domain began to mass it's forces at Crout, just a parsec away. The Aslan ihatel warships desired Tirem as a staging area to further press back the Regency, and fought a host of skirmishing actions and sharp, short battles here. Crout faced a full scale assault three times - in 1119, 1123 and 1125 - and each time the fighting spilled over to Tirem, ruining much of it's industrial base. Ownership of Tirem itself changed hands 11 times (three times in 1120 alone) with the usual exorbitant level of damage and tragedy as the price for being a battlefield.

When the Domain returned to stay in 1130, Tirem was in ruins, without a government and it's peoples largely in despair, helpless to prevent the destruction. The Domain's arrival initially just worsened things, as billions of poor Aslan immigrants, fleeing Glisten and other occupied worlds, but unable to afford the pumped-up fares needed to return home, were just dumped on Tirem by the Domain. Eventually, aid and repair funds arrived, and a government was installed by the newborn Regency, but not before several riots and urban battles were fought. By the time another massive wave of immigrants arrived - over 4 billion from Trin, at 1139 - the Regency was able to quickly provide housing and food, while stifling the local hotheads easily (via both political and militarily means).

By 1200, Tirem has rebuilt itself well, becoming definitely more richer and more stable than before the Rebellion. The provisional All-Tiren government has become pernament, and, wonders of wonders, is even respected by the citizens. Several new ports have been built, with the main port at CorkRock upgraded to "B" level. Traditional freedoms are maintained, but the Tirema are no longer willing to permit the Families to destroy their hard-won semiprosperity for the sake of pretty promises.

The 21.48 billion people who reside here include a large number of ex-Trini and "assimilated", dispossessed Aslans who couldn't afford to leave the Regency. These immigrants, fleeing their homes with only the clothes on their back, have begun to reverse the grim atmosphere that pervades throughout the system, but even today face entrenched discrimination and suspicion by Natives.

Tirem was first settled by refugees from the Sindalian Empire. When found by the Scouts in 55, its technology was at the Industrial level. By 400 it had risen to Pre-Stellar, but it bought both civilian and military ships from Mora, Trin, Lunion, and several Sword Worlds. Its status as an Imperial client state allowed it access to Imperial worlds and markets, making it a powerful player in the region and a rival of Bellion for the position of capital when the subsector was eventually incorporated into the Imperium.

Tirem did become the subsector capital for a while. In the end, however, the rapid growth of Glisten's population and economic might overtook Tirem, and in 991 Emperor Gavin transferred the subsector capital from Tirem to Glisten.

Centuries of hard living has shaped both the culture and the lifestyles of Tirem. Always overshadowed by Glisten, Tirem is where the hard-luck miners who can't afford Glisten anymore eventually migrate to. Despite Tirem's evident natural wealth, the good times never seemed to stick around, and the only thing that was built for future generations was bad debts and old hatreds.

The Tirema have an extremely strong family system, which long made the real divisions on what happened here. The Families divided up Tirem - and the rest of the system - to over 32,200 tiny, separate, fiercely independent nations. During good times - say, between 350 and 475, or from 1000 to 1116 - this system provided a support system for all Tirema, providing an outlet for pride and mutual help. When times were bad, the situation deteriorated to a war of All against All, with truly ugly consequences (between 580 and 610, about 1/4 of the entire population died via warfare and its consequences).

Unfortunately, these cycles tended to coincide with the wealth of Tirem. When desperately poor, violence was practically nonexistent, with everyone desperately engaged in simply keeping the heaters operating and the air purifiers working for one more day. As wealth grew, so did envy, eventually resulting in a cataclysmic civil war between every Family and every other Family - and impoverishing all in a very short period of time.

The major mining concerns of Tirem revolve around bulk nickel mining and refining. Massive 300,000 to 1,000,000 ton motherships slowly devour the smaller asteroids, with the miners looking like so many hyperactive ants as they process the asteroid. When that asteroid is finally emptied of valuable metals, the ship slowly coasts off to new pastures.

The motherships slowly tow their cargo to the starport on CorkRock, and as they do so, the interior of the ship is consumed with the task of refining the nickel ore into useful bulk blocks. After a journey that can take several months, the mothership arrives at CorkRock, where enormous Regency bulk carriers load on the blocks, to be taken to industrial and high-pop systems throughout the rimward Marches.

Almost all of these motherships are themselves hollowed-out asteroids, which rely on dangerous fusion rockets for transportation for themselves and their cargo (which can outmass the ship 20:1!) The folk on there are among the poorest folk of the Regency above TL–10, living short, dangerous lives: very few has ever known of any place other than their ship's, CorkRock (which is viewed as a temporary haven), and the Outer Rocks. The wealth of Glisten is only a week away via jumpspace, but as distant as Capital in it's effect on the lives of the people here.

Celtic influences are easily found in Native Tirema culture, but are most obvious in the language, songs and storytelling. Most folk speak a form of Anglic and Aslan-influenced T'nair, which has endured from the original settlements of Tirem. Names like Rosann (Rose), Siun Ni Dhuibhir (Susan O'Dwyer), and others are especially popular for girls, even among the Aslan (how many Aslan females named Susan can be found outside of Tirem?)

The Aslan's have also influenced the locals - although the locals will vigorously deny this. Aslan concepts of honor and tradition have begun to seep into local thought, and is rapidly integrating itself into the fabric of society. This has led to a lessening (!) of violence, and a greater rigidity in gender roles.

Dress for men tends to be simple, sensible and close to the skin. A skin-tight suit with 'pockets' that run down the legs is common apparel among the Tirema. Women's fashion largely follows standard Regency mores, but with rather more modesty and with certain, Aslan influenced touches (say, T'nair runes along their hems and edging their blouses).

Religions tend to be widely varied, and personal, with a general preference to the more "philosophical" faiths rather than the "supernatural" ones. Every ship and even the most pitiful "tunnel rat" shacktowns has at least one Shrine or Temple, which are lavishly decorated and perfumed.

Several local priesthoods are famed for having having their "bone" skull replaced by a "glass" skull. It's rather... disturbing... to see those veins just pounding away, but the locals don't seem to mind at all: if anything, the average local finds it "cute"!

Robots are among the few things absolutely forbidden: the descendants of the Trini will tolerate nothing less. Even cybernetically enhanced people will be cast out of the better eating establishments, and brutalized by young thugs if the enhancement is obvious. (And believe me, these folk carefully watch strangers for even the slightest sign of artificial anything!)